


Tell Me Where I Crossed (The Line)

by columbusohio



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Bisexual Josh Dun, F/M, Family Dinners, Infidelity, M/M, Mentions of Josh's one night stands, Ohio, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Tour de Columbus, Tyler and Jenna's new house, they're all nameless and faceless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-16 11:02:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11251791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/columbusohio/pseuds/columbusohio
Summary: Los Angeles, California -> Columbus, Ohio.For Tour De Columbus, Josh comes home. Tyler and Jenna lend out their guest bedroom.





	Tell Me Where I Crossed (The Line)

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to anyone who refreshed the josh/tyler tag today. so many chapters to come.  
> if anyone wants to be my buddy through this journey, please do.  
> that goes for betas too, ya buggers.

It was one of the off-course days of summer, much to his dismay. The night was cold and Josh's weather app predicted rain. Columbus's local airport wasn't bustling like LAX always was and Josh could hear his footsteps on the tile. He's gotten used to _loud_ ; screaming crowds, shared tour buses, busy locations. This stale quiet was unnerving.

He grips the handle of his suitcase a little tighter, passing a family of four eating snacks from the vending machine. He stops and hands them some money, telling them to get something better than melted granola bars and skittles. He receives profuse ‘thank you’s’ and even a hug from one of the younger kids.

Josh nods to himself as he watches them go, the excitement on their faces blatant. He liked doing that. Helping people, along with the feeling it unleashes, that's what keeps him going. He’ll never wrap his head around the fact what he does for a living actually saves lives. Day and night, people come up to him, waxing how his band’s art has impacted them. It doesn’t get old, and he never wants it to.

He continues on his way, adjusting his snapback over his vivid yellow hair. He'd just gotten it redone, and he's reluctant to call it his highlighter phase. He likes sunshine better. He’ll make a poll on Twitter, asking what the fans think.

His app was right, as soon as he steps onto the sidewalk outside, it starts pouring. He waits under the roof the airport provides, fidgeting with his hoodie. His Uber should be here any minute to take him home. Home. That could be anywhere nowadays, he confesses. One person has that title, and wherever he is, that's home.

When his phone pings, Josh nearly doesn't hear it over the sound of the weather. Pulling it out of his pocket, he's unfazed how late it is. He catches it right as the clock switches from 2:29AM to 2:30AM.

_Did you land yet?_

Josh quickly texts back, _Yeah, waiting for my ride. I think I got too used to Cali weather_

_I told you I would've picked you up. It's seriously no trouble_

A car honks in front of him, and he recognizes it as his driver's. He switches his hat the right way and pulls his hood over it, preparing to get very damp on the short run. He's sure Tyler has towels.

Once safely inside the backseat, Josh texts his best friend back.

_Already on my way_

The response doesn't come, and he finds himself staring out the window at the passing darkness that was his city. Nothing had changed, and he didn't know what he'd expected, really. The twinkles of the buildings are still just as bright as before, the air settling in his lungs like he'd been breathing in dust everywhere else. It hasn't even been that long, yet it feels like a lifetime. With being on the road and living across the country, nothing but comfort fills him. He lets himself take a deep inhale, basking in it, knowing here is where he's supposed to be. No matter the distance he travels, even if he moved to fucking Australia. He'd always find his way back.

The drive is a little longer than he expected, and his eyes are drooping. To keep himself awake, he texts Tyler a game of iMessage basketball. Unlike his texts, he responds immediately. They go back and forth, playing different games. Josh beats him at cup pong, Tyler beats him at golf.

Before he knows it, he's pulling up to an unfamiliar house. Light streams out of the giant living room windows, the outside walls in bright, welcoming colors. A well-taken care of garden that's being swallowed by rain water wraps around the front. He hypes himself up again, ready to dash to the front door. He bids his driver a thank you and a safe drive back home before getting ashamedly, soaking fucking wet.

His dripping knuckles knock on the white door as he takes in the homemade "No soliciting! Unless you're selling thin mints, flowers or cupcakes, we don't want any!" chalkboard sign. The rainbow colors are in Jenna's handwriting and Josh's lips quirk into a small smile.

Tyler answers the door with a towel, and Josh laughs, thankfully taking it and drying himself off the best he can. He doesn't move to hug his bandmate, he doesn't know if he should. But Tyler beats him to it, tightly embracing him, getting his t-shirt and gym shorts damp. Tyler doesn't care, Josh thinks. With the way his hands fist in Josh’s hoodie, he'd go underwater just to hold him.

Josh buries his head in Tyler's shoulder, breathing in. He allows himself this moment. They're the only ones in the world right now. Long before they were selling out arenas, they're back in the time they were still struggling to book gigs. It’s like they just played a show to three hundred people and Tyler is hugging him like his life depends on it, so damn proud of their minimal success. Smiling against his neck like there's no other person on the planet he'd rather be doing this with.

Tyler pulls away first. Josh already starts calculating the next time it'd be appropriate to get a hug like that again.

The second his arms are empty, he misses it. He furrows his brows because it's not like how it was before, not in the slightest. He's standing in Tyler's new home, that he lives in with alongside his wife. They're on break from a two year long world tour. Josh heard three of their songs on the radio on the drive here. They aren't struggling for gas money. In fact, their combined networths are in double digit millions. It won’t ever be like it was before; he won't ever have Tyler like he did before.

Not that he really had him to begin with.

"Jenna's asleep, but she packed away the leftovers in case you were hungry." Tyler says as he starts walking down the hallway, to the open kitchen. A vase of flowers sit neatly on the marble countertops, along with other Jenna-y touches to the room. White cabinets and new appliances. Hardwood floors and custom tiles. There's photobooth pictures and a Chinese takeout menu up on the fridge, with a whiteboard that reads, "I love you; always, forever."

Josh is almost jealous of the home they've situated themselves in. Not just the house, but with each other. He's still having one night stands in Miami and New Zealand. He rents an apartment in LA, where there's dust on the few pictures that hang on the walls. He isn't around enough to bother with cleaning them.

Yet, here, Tyler maneuvers around his house like it's his righteous duty. Like there isn't a place in the world that would feel more comfortable than this. He'd be perfectly at ease dancing naked on the dining table, Josh knows, as he watches Tyler microwave the leftover dinner for him.

"Heard three of our songs on the way here." Josh starts easy conversation, "It never gets less crazy."

"I know, it's weird." Tyler leans back against the counter, crossing his arms.

"Especially when you're with friends."

Tyler smiles, and for the first time Josh sees how tired he must be. It's nearly 4 in the morning.

"Exactly."

Josh eats, Tyler indulges him in sleepy talk, of what he's been up to and vice versa. Tyler talks about the leaf blower he got, and they laugh when Josh mentions he knows about it because of his Instagram livestream. A fail on Tyler's part, he didn't even know how to turn the damn thing off. Despite the shitty quality, Josh watched the entire thing and thought about it for two days after. Though, he keeps that to himself.

When the birds start chirping outside and the sky gets lighter, Tyler informs him the guest bedroom upstairs is ready and he can unpack after he's gotten, "At least 8 hours of sleep, dude. You look like hell."

He drags his suitcase to the second floor, noting that Tyler and Jenna's room is right next to his. Peeling off his clothes until he's in his boxer briefs, he crashes the second his head hits the pillow.

He dreams of being in Maine, boarding a plane that's due to crash an hour after take off.

 

***

 

Josh wakes up to dull light streaming in from the closed white curtains and the distant sound of pots and pans clinking downstairs. Sighing as he rubs his eyes, he lies under the covers for a few more minutes; the bed really is comfortable. Better than hotels in England or nameless faces in New York. He stretches his arms up, hands going under his pillow; he starts when he feels something crinkly brush his thumb.

Confused, he grabs the small wrapper, bringing it to eye level. It’s a small peppermint, red and white. A breathy laugh leaves his lips before he can stop it. Of course there’d be mints under the pillows, because he’s _such_ a fucking king. His smile fades and he pops the candy in his mouth, discarding the plastic on the bedside table. Someone in Washington called him a king as he struggled to slip his jeans on the morning after. A lazy grin and a, _‘Hey, king, last night was fun. Treated me just like your royalty.’_

The only throne he has is his drumkit.

When he finally gets up, he searches through his luggage for new clothes and bathroom essentials. He smells like airport peanuts and old rain water, the sooner he gets a shower, the sooner the world will be a better place.

It's not hard to find the bathroom, it's right across the hall from the guest. Inside it's clean, cute. Homey. There's framed pictures along the walls of the ocean and surprisingly, one of Tyler and Josh. Right there, neatly placed by the towel holder. The shot is of their backsides, they're looking out at mountains and talking. Tyler's hand rests intimately on the nape of Josh's neck, right where it meets his shoulder. It's a beautiful photo, Josh doesn't even remember it being taken.

He locks the door and starts the shower.

 

***

 

"Afternoon, sunshine. Have a nice sleep? I made pancakes, chocolate chip or blueberry?" Jenna greets him as he descends down the stairs, showered and clean shaven. Tyler sits on one of the breakfast stools, eating fresh fruit from a big bowl far enough away he has to lean to reach it. He’s shirtless, because, of course he is. No reason to hide.

"Hey, chocolate chip. And yeah, it was great. I feel a lot better." Josh comes up beside her and gives her a hug; stealing a grape as he does. Despite his dream, he does feel better. She smiles at him, all white teeth and blue eyes. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun and Josh sees why Tyler is in love with her. The last time he was blond, he was dating Debby.

"I told you not to get up until you reached 8 hours. You barely got 6." Tyler chides, picking up a piece of cantaloupe. Josh shrugs with humor, moving to join him on his own stool. There’s not much to be done about it; he’s lucky he even got that much.

"Leave him be, Ty. It's not like you slept a wink." Tyler jokingly rolls his eyes at his wife, before getting up to kiss her on the cheek. Josh pointedly looks down at the fruit.

Josh clears his throat, “What’s the plan for today? Doing anything special?” The last time he kissed someone was in Florida, a week ago. Disneyland. He spares the duo a glance.

“I was thinking we could just lounge around, I have a few ideas I want to bounce off you. Setlist ideas.” Tyler’s eyes are lit with excitement but there’s a certain anxiety floating inside him. Josh knows he’s nervous about the upcoming hometown tour. It seems ridiculous for them to be angsty about five shows in a place they’ve played for years; but this is different. This is huge, this is the impending reflection on how much success they’ve gained with the past album. This is bringing the fans they've made over the years, from around the world, home with them. It's too intimate not to feel anxious over.

Jenna circles her arms around Tyler’s bare waist, piping up, “I invited our families over for dinner, too. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve all been together and enjoyed a meal.”

Josh nods his approval, he’s missed his mom. Hell, he’s missed _Tyler’s_ mom, regardless of her thoughts on his lifestyle. He’s missed Ohio; ever since landing it’s been an aching in his bones. The blood in his veins is settling.

“Sounds great.” He grabs the syrup and pours it over his pancakes in circling motions, “God, I’m starving.”

“Eat up, buttercup. LA doesn’t feed you enough.” That earns Tyler a loud laugh, the first time Josh’s eyes crinkled with the force of his smile since he got back. The brunet’s expression is one of secret pride and fondness.

It makes Josh’s lips stay quirked up for the rest of brunch, happiness never wavering as they ate. Even as Jenna droned on about the events that happened during an outing with her friends the other day, Josh’s aura of content stays. It doesn’t budge because neither does Tyler’s.

To make matters better, his best friend’s hand finds his shoulder a few minutes into their conversation, grounding Josh with the occasional gentle squeeze. He savors it as best he can without being obvious.

If his outburst laughter and soft smiles can get Tyler to look at him like that; well. He vows to be happier, and to save his special giggles for Tyler, and for Tyler only.

God knows he doesn’t have them reserved for anyone else.

 

***

 

For the Basement show, they're opening with Fake You Out. Tyler dug out his old keytar as well, asking Josh if he thinks it's a good idea. He went over with him the prospect of bringing the medley back, who of their families were going to which gigs; the general run down of which dramatics they can and cannot do. It got their nerves high but the idea of playing again soothed them slightly. They needed this closure.

Around five, Tyler started cooking with Jenna as helper. They were following some recipe for chicken pulled up on her laptop, giving into small pecks of the lips and tickles as they brushed past each other to meet the measurement quotas. Josh sat on the carpeted floor in the living room, hitting his practice pad easily; just little beats strung together, his drumsticks taking him into parts of an old song, parts of a newer one. He let it happen and occasionally, when he'd hit in a rhythm that he never has before, Tyler would tell him to record it on his phone for later.

They'd settled so into the gentle atmosphere that when the doorbell rang, it startled Josh out of his _tap, tap,.. tap, tap, tap,.._

Jordan was the first to show up, pulling in both of Josh's sisters. The second he sees them, a bright grin breaks across his face. They group hug, much to his delight, Josh in the middle of a sibling sandwich. He accepts the love they give him, rustling his hair, kissing his cheeks, pinching his bicep. He's missed them, even though he saw them less than two weeks ago.

Next came his parents, who brought tubs of ice cream with them. He nearly cried when he buried his face in his mom's hair. Why did he move away again? What the hell was in LA that he didn't have here? He could list a thousand things that were in Ohio that he couldn't muster up in California for the life of him. He thinks he might start searching for houses in Columbus again.

Kelly and Chris show up shortly after, bringing along Jay, Zack, Maddy and their respective spouses. Tyler doesn't have the reaction Josh has to seeing his family, he probably just saw them yesterday. The only time Tyler has left was to tour; but he came back, always. He's here now, isn't he? Lending out the fancy guest bedroom of his fancy house to his twenty-eight year old bandmate who hasn't been back home in months; who only calls his mom every other weekend.

The night moves too quickly for Josh to feel guilty over anything. Dinner is eaten, board games are played; dessert is served between laughs and stories of old school sport mishaps. They have a good time, catching up and never letting the conversation drop. A keyboard and uke already sit in the living room, so when Jay chants for Tyler to play a tune, it’s fairly easy. They all sing off-key, pulling weird faces and hand gestures. Zack attempts to do the worm, and when he fails, challenges Jordan to.

Truthfully, it’s one of the best nights Josh has ever had. He needed this more than he ever thought he could.

So when the energy leaves with their families, Josh bids goodnight and retreats to the room he can call his for the next three weeks. He lies in bed on his laptop, searching real estates around Columbus. He makes a list of the things in his place in LA, filtering out everything he could sell and buy new. There isn't much to begin with so he starts small. 

Downstairs, he can just make out the low rumble of the TV and Jenna's laugh. He pulls up the band's twitter and composes a tweet that reads, "HØME." The notification that Tyler favorited it immediately comes through, as does a text. 

_Stop tweeting off the band account and come watch this movie with us_

So Josh does. He bookmarks the sites of the houses he was browsing, shutting his computer off and not bothering to put on a shirt as he makes his way to the living room. The couch looks deadly comfortable and Tyler raises is right arm for Josh to sit as close as possible. Jenna's legs drape over her husband's lap and the heel of her foot presses into Josh's Tyler tattoo.

Sometime during the night, they fell asleep; Josh's head in the curve of Tyler's neck and Tyler's hand braced on his thigh. Jenna had covered them with a blanket before going to bed. 

The phrase “Your band comes home.” was a little too spot on.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed. leave a comment and i'll be your best friend.


End file.
